Gervaise leant on the battlement and looked with admiration at the
scene beyond. The land side was surrounded by hills, the ground
rising very gradually from the foot of the walls. Every yard of
ground was cultivated, and was covered with brilliant vegetation.
Groves and orchards occurred thickly, while the slopes were dotted
with chapels, summer houses -- in which the natives of the city
spent most of their time in the hot season -- and other rustic
buildings.

"What a rich and beautiful country!" he said.

"It is very pleasant to look at," De Lille agreed. "But all this
would be a sore disadvantage to us if the Turks were besieging
us, for the groves and orchards would conceal their approaches,
the walls and buildings would give them shelter, and our cannon
would be of little use until they reached the farther side of the
ditch. If the Turks come, I hear it is decided to level all the
buildings and walls, and to chop down every tree."

"If they were to plant their cannon on the hills they would do us
much harm," Gervaise remarked.

"The Turks are clumsy gunners they say," Deauville replied, "and
they would but waste their powder and ball at that distance,
without making a breach in our walls."

"Even if they did, they could surely scarce pass that deep fosse,"
Gervaise said, looking down into the tremendous cutting in the
solid rock that ran round the whole circuit of the walls; it was